Little Girl Lost
by Kamari Turen
Summary: Episode 1 of the Consultant series. Izzy Sharpe works as an investigative consultant who helps solve murders and other crimes. In this case she must solve the murder of a woman whose daughter has gone missing. One shot. AU. Rated M for language and violence.


It wasn't the life she had imagined for herself, but it was the one she had and she was determined to make the best of it. Her life had never been easy, with all the questions about her mental state and the issues with her family, but Izzy Sharpe had always found a way to see the bright side. She had always tried to make things better for herself and for others as well. Even now she tried to help people. The only difference was that now she helped people who had already been lost. Izzy was an investigative consultant who used her unique way of viewing the world and her uncanny ability to notice things others missed to help the police solve crimes, usually murders. It hadn't been her first choice for a career, but she found it comforting to know that she was helping. And she had her own, more personal reasons for lending a hand. Things had happened in her past that had given her a desire to punish criminals and she was determined to do just that. Still, it wasn't the life she had imagined, but somehow she made it work.

* * *

The buzzing of her phone drew Izzy from slumber. Groaning she rolled over and snatched the phone off her nightstand. Not surprisingly there was a text from Detective Martin letting her know they had a case. Intrigued as usual, Izzy sat up, running a hand through her thick mane of red hair in an attempt to smooth it down. She climbed out of bed and pulled on a pair of jeans, followed by a green sweater and a dark overcoat.

It was then that she glanced at the clock. "Eight thirty?" she muttered to herself. "Are you kidding me? Why can't murders happen at a decent hour?" She paused then to consider the absurdity of that question, before deciding it didn't matter. What mattered was she was up and she had a case. All she needed now was some coffee and the location of the crime scene.

To that end she made her way to kitchen, while firing off a text to Detective Martin. She quickly made some coffee and headed out the door before receiving a response. The text was short and to the point, just the way Izzy liked them. _Corner of 122__nd__ & Colfax_, was all it said. Izzy chewed her lip as she got into her car. That intersection was in a bad part of town and she wasn't sure if she wanted to deal with that this early in the morning. But she had an obligation to be there and so she headed out, hoping this wasn't the beginning of something worse.

* * *

Twenty five minutes later Izzy arrived at the scene. There were cops everywhere, but she easily located Detectives Martin and Harris amidst the chaos. She approached them silently, already scanning the scene for clues.

"So, what have we got?" she asked, her voice making Detective Harris jump.

"Damn it Izzy, don't do that." he snapped, his tone a mixture of surprise and irritation.

"Sorry." Izzy said, with an apologetic smile. She often forgot that Detective Harris could often be quite fearful despite his size and strength. Grinning, she turned her attention to Detective Martin, who was watching her with an amused look.

"You're late." he said, though he did not sound angry.

"I know." Izzy replied. "So, what have we got?"

"Female, mid to late thirties, multiple stab wounds." Martin replied. "We think she was dumped here."

"Because of the relative lack of blood at the scene, I assume?" Izzy asked.

"Yes." Martin answered. "There are also tire marks leading away from the scene."

Izzy nodded and moved towards the victim, who was indeed female. She was quite pretty, with close cropped brown hair, blue eyes, and fair, pale skin, though that could have been from the lack of blood. For a moment Izzy was mesmerized by the dead woman until she remembered she was not alone and had a job to do. It was then that she noticed Noah, the chief medical examiner and one of her least favorite people in the world.

"Hello Ms. Sharpe." Noah said, with a curt nod, though his tone was cold.

"Hello Noah." Izzy replied, her tone just as cold. "Have you determined time of death?"

"First of all, I am not obligated to reveal that information to you." Noah said. "But, if you must know, I have. Based on my preliminary examination I would say she died between six and eight hours ago."

"Interesting." Izzy said, her gaze passing over the dead woman once more.

"I'm afraid I don't follow you." Noah said. "How is that interesting?"

"I was asleep then and I had a dream about a woman being killed." Izzy replied, her tone casual, as if they were discussing the weather. "Have you identified her?"

"Uh, no, we haven't." Harris replied after a moment of uncomfortable silence. "She doesn't have any ID on her."

"Damn." Izzy muttered, seemingly oblivious to the fact that her mention of dreams about people dying had made the others uncomfortable. "What else do we know?"

"Not much." Martin answered. "We'll have to wait for Noah to complete his examination before we can get any real clue about what happened. Though, like I said, we think she wasn't killed here, so at least there's that."

"Yeah, at least there's that." Izzy muttered, obviously disappointed. "Well, I'll continue to examine the scene while you guys do your thing. Let me know when you have an ID."

"Will do." Martin replied, with a friendly nod.

With that, they set about wrapping up the processing of the scene, Izzy's mind racing as she tried to piece this mystery together.

* * *

Several hours later, after an extended lunch break, Izzy met with Martin and Harris in Noah's exam room. Noah had completed his examination of the victim and had discovered a couple of unexpected bits of information. Of greatest interest to the detectives was the fact that the victim had put up a struggle before she had been killed. Izzy, however, was more interested in learning just who this woman was.

"All this other stuff is interesting and all, but do you have an identity for us yet?" she asked, her tone slightly irritated.

"I do actually." Noah replied, his tone cold. "Her name is Kellie Braughman. She's thirty six and she worked as a personal trainer."

"How did you determine that?" Harris asked, confused.

"Her joints show signs of rigorous physical activity that was repeated on a regular basis." Noah replied. "Also when I ran her DNA, I found all of her personal information. I already told all of this to Detective Martin. I'm surprised he didn't share it with you."

"Yeah, so am I." Harris said, with a disgruntled glance at Martin, who just shrugged.

"Anyway, do we know how she died?" Izzy asked, hoping to get the men back on task.

"I would think that was obvious, Ms. Sharpe." Noah said, his tone sarcastic.

Izzy glared at him before turning her attention to Kellie Braughman. Noah was right, of course. It was pretty obvious what had killed her. The multiple stab wounds to her chest, abdomen, and neck made that clear. But what was curious was the fact that she had been stabbed so many times. It didn't add up and yet there had to be an explanation.

"Hmm, that's interesting." Izzy said, her voice drawing the attention of the men.

"What's interesting?" Martin asked, curious.

"The number of wounds." Izzy replied, still studying Kellie's body as she spoke.

"Would you care to elaborate?" Noah asked.

"Certainly." Izzy said, looking up to meet his serious gaze. "What I mean is there seems to be an excess of wounds. Given the placement of several of these wounds she would have been dead before her killer had finished delivering them all."

"That does appear to be the case." Noah agreed, much to Izzy's surprise.

"Why would the killer continue to stab her after she was already dead?" Harris asked.

"That depends on who the killer is." Izzy answered. "And to find that out we need to find more pieces of this puzzle. Do we know where she lived?"

"Yeah." Martin answered. "I pulled up her address just after Noah gave me her identity."

"Then what are we still doing here?" Izzy asked. "Let's go investigate."

Detective Martin nodded and he and Harris followed her out, leaving Noah to perform the final steps of Kellie's autopsy.

* * *

A half hour later Izzy and the detectives arrived at Kellie Braughman's home. It was immediately obvious that there had been some kind of struggle in the home. The front door hung open and one of the windows was smashed in. Inside furniture was overturned and books, photos, and toys were scattered everywhere. In the middle of the living room was a large, red stain that gave off the distinct oder of old blood.

"Well, this is definitely where she was killed." Martin observed. "And it looks like Noah was right about her putting up a struggle."

"So it would seem." Izzy said, her gaze passing around the destroyed room. "The question is why? Who would do this to a woman who seemed to be a good person, just to dump her body in some shitty neighborhood?"

"Maybe they were hoping to cover up their actions." Harris suggested.

"Obviously." Izzy said. "My question was rhetorical, you know?"

Harris looked like he wanted to shout at her, but she simply smiled and moved on with her investigation. "Anyway, my point was maybe there are clues here that will point us in the right direction. You two look around down here, I'll go check upstairs."

The detectives both nodded, though Harris looked annoyed at being ordered around by a consultant. Oblivious, Izzy made her way upstairs, hoping for any clue that would point her towards a motive or a killer. The first thing that caught her attention was the presence of a second bedroom that appeared to be in use. Curious, Izzy entered the room, wondering who else was living here.

The room was painted pink and white and was extremely well organized. A single bed sat against one wall, with at least a dozen stuffed toys on it. More toys were stacked neatly in the corner of the room and two large doll houses sat on a desk beside the bed. Izzy felt her heart constrict as she took in the sight of this room. It was obvious that these were the possessions of a child, which meant Kellie Braughman had a daughter who was now alone in the world.

"Oh God." Izzy whispered to herself. "This is more than I was expecting." With that she ran back downstairs, where she almost plowed headlong into Detective Harris.

"What's wrong with you?" Harris asked, holding Izzy steady as she tried to calm herself.

"She...she has a daughter." Izzy answered, barely able to get the words out.

"Yeah, and it appears that's why she was killed." Martin said, as he entered the room from the kitchen, his expression grim.

"What do you mean?" Izzy asked, confused.

"There are signs that the girl was taken just after Ms. Braughman was killed." Martin answered. "I suspect that's why she fought back, to prevent her daughter from being taken."

"Why would someone kill her and take her daughter though?" Izzy asked, before a possible answer came to her. "Wait, does Kellie have an ex?"

Harris wiped out his phone and brought up the pictures he had taken of the information they had obtained on Kellie Braughman. "She does actually." he said. "An ex husband named Scott Ford. Also, her daughter's name is Madison and she's only eight."

"Shit." Izzy said. "I hate it when the kidnap victims are so young."

"Yeah, so do I." Martin said. "Well let's go find this Scott Ford guy and find out where he was last night when his ex wife was killed."

* * *

Several hours later Izzy returned home to find her roommate Gwen Carver and their friend LeShawna Carter waiting for her. She did not immediately acknowledge them however, as she was still thinking about the case. She and the detectives had failed to find Scott Ford and Izzy was more than a little disappointed. She hated when cases stalled like this, but there wasn't much she could do about it. All she could do was wait and hope someone found Ford before he disappeared for good.

Gwen and LeShawna seemed to sense Izzy's disappointment, for they were both gazing at her with looks of concern. They both knew how obsessive Izzy could be when she was working a case and they hated seeing her beat herself up when things didn't work out.

"Hello Izzy." Gwen said, hoping to break the tension in the room. "I heard you leave early this morning. Did you catch a case?"

Izzy looked at her roommate as though she was stupid. "Yes." she answered. "I did and it's pissing me off."

"Didn't find the killer, I'm assuming?" LeShawna asked, her tone comforting.

"No." Izzy answered. "And the thing is, I have to find this guy or there will be more death."

"How do you know that for sure?" Gwen asked. "Is this guy a serial killer?"

"No, but that's not the point." Izzy said, fighting to keep herself calm.

"Well, tell us what happened." Gwen said. "Maybe we can help."

Again Izzy gave her roommate a questioning look, as though she doubted Gwen's motives. But Gwen did have a point, maybe she and LeShawna could help. They had in the past. In fact Gwen had been instrumental in helping Izzy solve her first case, which wasn't a surprise given that they'd been friends for years. Gwen had been one of the few people Izzy had to rely on during her tumultuous childhood and the goth girl was still one of her strongest supporters. Still, Izzy was often hesitant to go to Gwen for help, lest she reveal too much information about a case. But she was desperate now and Gwen was always willing to help.

Sighing, Izzy sat on the edge of the couch and began her story. "Alright, this is how it went down." she said. "I got a text this morning from Geoff letting me know we had a case. The victim was a woman named Kellie Braughman and at first we thought it was just a murder. But we investigated her home and discovered she has an eight year old daughter who's missing. We think the killer is her ex husband, but we can't find him and if he has the girl she could be in danger too."

Gwen and LeShawna were silent for a moment following Izzy's story, as though they were trying to process what she'd told them. And then LeShawna spoke.

"How do you know the killer is the ex husband?" she asked.

"We don't, but it makes sense." Izzy replied. "The majority of murder victims are killed by someone they know, like a spouse, and the presence of the daughter makes it even more likely that the ex is the killer. It's likely a revenge thing."

"Fucking hell Iz, how do you deal with that shit?" Gwen asked, shaking her head.

"I just do." Izzy said. Gwen had asked her that question before and she still hadn't come up with a better answer. The truth was she had no idea how she dealt with the rigors of her job, but she did and that was all that mattered.

"So, you think the killer you're after is the ex husband of the victim and you think he has their daughter held captive or something. Is that about right?" LeShawna asked.

"Correct." Izzy replied, though she failed to see how repeating what she had said was in any way helpful. "So, any ideas?"

"I don't know Izzy." Gwen said. "This seems like something better left to the cops. We can't go chasing after alleged killers without more knowledge."

"Well, I can." Izzy said. "But I see your point." She sounded disappointed, but the truth was Gwen was right. This was a situation that was better left to the police to solve. But the police hadn't had any more luck finding Ford than she had, so why couldn't she still try?

At that moment, just as Izzy was beginning to formulate a new plan, her phone rang. Startled, she answered it, her disappointment quickly turning to excitement as the voice on the other end of the line explained the situation.

"Who was that?" Gwen asked, once Izzy had hung up.

"Geoff, I mean Detective Martin." Izzy replied. "They found the guy and they want me there for the interrogation, so I'll talk to you guys later, okay?"

"Yeah, talk to you later." Gwen said, amused by Izzy's excitement.

Izzy nodded and headed out the door, all of her disappointment and frustration left behind.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later Izzy arrived at the station to find Detective Martin waiting for her. He smiled as she walked up the steps, his smile suggesting that he was confident they had caught the right guy. Izzy shared his confidence and they entered the station together, heading for the interrogation rooms at the back of the building.

"Where's Harris?" Izzy asked as they walked through the station.

"He's with the suspect." Martin replied. "As is Officer Wells."

Izzy felt her heart skip a beat. Officer Bridgette Wells was one of the uniformed officers stationed at this precinct, as well as Martin's girlfriend. She had never gotten along very well with Izzy and Izzy considered her a rule abiding snob. So the fact that she was going to be present for this interrogation was a little annoying.

"Why is she with the suspect?" Izzy asked, careful not to sound upset.

"We needed an extra person to watch him and she was still here, so we grabbed her." Martin answered, not meeting Izzy's gaze.

Izzy wanted to say more, but chose not to sensing it was best to let the subject die. Besides, there were more important things to deal with at the moment than her personal issues with Officer Wells.

Moments later they arrived at the interrogation rooms and entered room number three. Detective Harris and Officer Wells stood on either side of the room, flanking a man who was seated at a table, his arms bound in handcuffs that were attached to the table by a small chain.

Izzy's first impression of Scott Ford was that he was a transient. His clothing was filthy and his hair was disheveled and dirty. He looked like he had been living on the street or in a gutter and for a moment Izzy felt a pang of sympathy for him. But then she remembered why he was here and her emotions hardened.

"So, this is Scott Ford huh?" she asked, glancing around the room.

"Yep, that's him alright." Martin answered, nodding.

"Where did you find him?" Izzy asked, her gaze focusing back on Ford.

"He was in a bar on the south side." Harris answered. "Someone spotted him and gave us a call. Don't know how they knew we were looking for him though."

"They probably assumed he was some kind of criminal and just wanted to be safe." Izzy replied. "Lucky for us, they were right."

"Yeah. Now all we need is for him to confess." Officer Wells said, speaking for the first time since Izzy had entered the room. There was a hint of disapproval to her tone, as though she thought the fact that an investigative consultant like Izzy was allowed to sit in on an interrogation was highly inappropriate.

"Oooh, tension in the ranks?" Ford asked, also speaking for the first time.

"Shut it." Martin snapped. "You're not here to critique the dynamics of this precinct."

"Obviously." Ford said, grinning. "So why am I here? You're the ones who hauled me outta that damn bar. Did I do something wrong?"

"Really?" Izzy asked. "You expect us to believe you don't know why you're here?"

"Yes." Ford answered. "Cuz I have no idea why you drug me in here."

"We drug you in here because your ex wife was found dead this morning." Martin answered. "And we wanted to ask you a few questions about that."

"Kellie's dead?" Ford asked, his shocked tone almost convincing. "What about Maddie? What about my daughter?"

"We were hoping you could tell us." Martin said, his tone serious.

"You don't think I had anything to do with this, do you?" Ford asked.

"You're here, aren't you?" Martin replied. "I think that makes it pretty clear what we think."

"I didn't do it." Ford said immediately. "I would never hurt Kellie or my daughter."

"Oh really?" Izzy asked. "Cuz your rap sheet tells a different story. I mean let's see here, you've been arrested for assault, unlawful use of a weapon, reckless endangerment, and a shit-load of drug charges, among other crimes."

"Whoa, hold up a minute. You got this all wrong." Ford said. "I did those things years ago and I've done my time. I'm a different man now, I swear. Been clean for four years now."

"Is that why these fine detectives found you in a bar?" Izzy asked. "Cuz I think there's a few things you're not telling us."

"I was in that bar to enjoy a drink or two." Ford said, his tone defensive.

"Okay then, where were you between twelve thirty and two thirty this morning?" Harris asked, his steely gaze fixed on Ford's face.

"I was hanging out with a couple of friends, having a drink at the Shining Star pub." Ford answered. "I was there until three thirty, at least."

"Can anyone confirm that?" Harris asked, his gaze still fixed on Ford's face.

"Call the pub." Ford said. "The bartender will tell you. I was there all night."

"Yeah, we'll check into that." Martin said. "In the meantime you just sit here and relax. We'll let you know what we find." With that he turned to leave, Izzy moving to follow him.

"That's it?" she asked once they were outside the room. "We're just gonna check his alibi and let him sit in there?"

"That's what we do." Martin answered, not meeting her gaze.

"But he's guilty." Izzy protested. "And if we don't get him to confess we'll never find his daughter in time."

"That's the risk we have to take." Martin replied, still not meeting her gaze.

"Unacceptable." Izzy said, her voice rising. "You can't risk the life of an eight year old girl just to follow protocol, damn it."

"Well that's what we're doing, so just accept it." Martin snapped as he finally turned to face her. "Look Izzy, I know you want to save the girl, but we can't do anything else until we confirm his alibi. I'm sorry."

"Fine." Izzy spat. "But if that girl dies, it's on you Martin." With that she stormed off, leaving Martin to confirm the validity of Ford's alibi.

A short time later Martin found her sitting on the front steps of the precinct. She did not acknowledge him at first, as she was still too angry with him for not interrogating Ford further. But she could sense that he had something to tell her so, after a moment of tense silence, she looked at him, her expression questioning.

"His alibi checks out." Martin said. "He was at the Shining Star at the time of the murder."

"Great." Izzy muttered. "So what do we do now?"

"We keep looking and hope we find something that point us to who actually killed Kellie Braughman." Martin answered.

"And took Madison." Izzy added, her tone sullen.

"We don't actually know that she was taken." Martin said. "She may have just run off after her mother was killed. Which doesn't mean we should stop looking for her, but it is a possibility we should consider."

Izzy nodded, though she didn't seem to believe him. "Yeah, I guess you're right." she conceded. "Although if that is in fact the case, why hasn't she come to us yet?"

"She witnessed the murder of her mother." Martin answered. "Chances are she's scared and uncertain who to trust right now. She's also a little girl. It may not have crossed her mind to seek help from the police."

"Yeah, well, either way we have to find her." Izzy said, her tone determined.

"And we will." Martin said. "But we'll do it tomorrow. Right now we all need to get some sleep, you most of all."

Izzy nodded, though she knew she wouldn't get any sleep tonight. With that they parted, with Martin promising to continue the investigation in the morning.

* * *

Izzy arrived at the precinct early the next morning. She hadn't slept well the night before and was eager to get back to working on the case. Madison Braughman had to be found and Izzy was convinced that she was the only one who could do it. She knew why she was so desperate to find the girl, but she wasn't willing to confront those issues yet. Still, she would not stop until Madison was found, regardless of how much sleep she lost.

To Izzy's immense relief Detectives Martin and Harris were at the precinct when she arrived. She greeted them with a quick smile before getting down to business. "So, do we have any new information about Madison?" she asked.

The detectives exchanged a glance before Martin answered. "No new leads yet, but we're still searching." he said. "We obtained Kellie Braughman's phone and email records and we've been combing through them for an hour or so."

"Her phone and email records?" Izzy asked. "What use would those be in this case?"

"Well, Harris had a thought and I thought it was worth a shot." Martin answered. "We were wondering if Kellie had been in contact with anyone else recently who may have wanted to harm her or kidnap her daughter."

"That makes sense." Izzy said, her tone apologetic. _Of course it makes sense, you idiot. Why the hell didn't you think of it sooner?_

"Yeah, that's what we thought." Harris said, doing his best not to look satisfied with himself, though it was obvious he was. Izzy found she didn't care. Harris could have this one, as it wasn't often that he figured something out before she did.

"Have you found anything yet?" Izzy asked, glancing at the stack of documents on Martin's desk. "Anything useful, I mean."

"Well, there were a couple of phone calls she received a couple of days before her death that seemed suspicious, as well as a few emails." Harris answered.

"Suspicious how exactly?" Izzy asked, her curiosity piqued.

"The calls and emails were all from an unknown source." Martin answered. "We found texts as well, also from an unknown source."

"Do you think these messages are all connected?" Izzy asked.

"It's hard to tell, but if I had to guess I would say they are." Martin replied.

"And you can't track them to their source?" Izzy asked.

"No, but there is something else." Harris said. "Something I thought you might be able to make more sense of."

With that he handed her a copy of one of the emails Kellie had received prior to her death. The email seemed harmless enough at first glance, but the more Izzy studied it the more she began to notice the subtle threats within. The message demanded that Kellie allow some sort of representative to meet with her, though it did not make clear why. More puzzling was the fact that the message made no mention of who had sent it, but something else had caught Izzy's eye. In the lower right corner of the message was a logo she recognized. The logo was a pair of hands holding a flower and a heart and Izzy knew exactly who the logo represented.

"I recognize this logo." she said, looking up from the message.

"What logo?" Harris asked, leaning over her shoulder.

"This one." Izzy said, indicating the picture at the bottom of the page.

"Huh, I didn't notice that before." Harris said. "It does look familiar though."

"That's because it's the logo for the Helping Hand." Izzy replied, her tone grim.

"The Helping Hand?" Martin asked. "Why would Kellie Braughman be receiving secret messages from an organization like that? Don't they only help the poor?"

"Technically yes, but there have been questions about their methods in recent years, remember?" Izzy replied.

"That's right." Harris said. "A couple of years ago the Helping Hand was suspected to be the benefactor of a sex trafficking ring that specialized in young girls."

"Specifically Carter Edison, the organization's founder." Izzy said.

"Yeah, but it was proven that neither Edison or his organization had anything to do with that." Martin said, his tone skeptical.

"Not everything is what it seems Detective Martin." Izzy said, her tone serious. "Maybe there is more to this than we think."

"What are you suggesting?" Martin asked. "That we just walk up to Carter Edison and accuse him of backing a sex trafficking operation again? He's one of the most influential people in the city. If we go after him with no proof, he'll destroy us."

"I'm not saying we just walk up and accuse him." Izzy said. "I'm not stupid. Also, I'm not suggesting he's backing a sex trafficking operation. I'm suggesting he's actually in on it, as in he's actually having sex with the girls the operation is bringing in."

"Do you realize how fucking insane that sounds?" Martin asked. "There's no way Edison is actually having relations with sex slaves. And even if he is, how do we prove it?"

"We find Madison Braughman." Izzy replied simply.

"And how do we do that, exactly?" Martin asked, his tone irritated.

"By doing your job." Izzy answered. "You're a detective. You should be able to figure this out. It's a simple matter of narrowing down the list of possibilities."

"Yeah, but where do we start?" Harris asked. He did not sound annoyed, just nervous, as though the prospect of going up against Carter Edison was terrifying.

"We start by finding the link between the Helping Hand and the criminal underworld." Izzy replied, as though that was as easy as going for a walk in the park.

* * *

As it would turn out finding a link between the Helping Hand and the criminal underworld would prove to be far more difficult than Izzy had anticipated. She and the detectives spent most of the day combing through mountains of possible leads, but nothing connected the Helping Hand or Carter Edison to any known criminals or shady organizations. And with each failure to find a connection Izzy became more frustrated, until finally she couldn't take it anymore.

"That's it!" she snapped. "I give up. I can't take this anymore." She rose to her feet and moved towards the door, but Martin stopped her.

"Where are you going?" he asked. "What about Madison?"

"I'm not actually giving up." Izzy snapped. "I just need to take a short break, you know, clear my head and all that."

"Okay. You do that." Martin said. "We'll keep searching for a connection."

"Let me know if you find anything." Izzy said, moving to take her leave.

"Will do." Martin said, with a nod. Izzy smiled, appreciating his help. And then she left, heading for the one place that was certain to help her unwind.

Fifteen minutes later she arrived outside the Pit, her personal favorite bar. The Pit was owned by a man named Duncan Reynolds, who had been an acquaintance of Izzy's for many years and was known for his dry humor and his knack for getting into trouble. Izzy had helped him out of a few scrapes in the past and he had helped her solve a few cases in return. To say that they were friends wouldn't be entirely truthful, but they respected each other and Izzy knew she could rely on Duncan whenever she needed a partner to help her with the less than legal aspects of her investigative method.

Izzy entered the bar and took a seat at the counter, her gaze immediately traveling to the picture of her and Duncan that hung above the bar. Duncan kept pictures of all the people he knew above the bar, but only a few of them, like Izzy were there for good reasons. Most were enemies that he still intended to get revenge on someday, an idea that still intrigued Izzy to this day.

"Well, well, look who the cat dragged in." a gruff voice said, cutting through Izzy's thoughts like a knife. "Haven't seen you in awhile Red."

Izzy smiled as she turned her attention to Duncan, who was grinning at her with that grin of his that always made her wonder what he was up to. "Hello Duncan." she said. "And what have I told you about calling me Red?"

"That you find it attractive and sexy?" Duncan said, his tone sarcastic.

Izzy rolled her eyes, but made no comment, deciding it was best to let Duncan have his fun before she told him why she was there.

"So what brings you to my neck of the woods?" Duncan asked.

"I'm working a case and I'm kind of stuck." Izzy answered.

"And you want me to beat the shit out of someone, is that it?" Duncan asked.

"No." Izzy answered. "I could use your help though. And a drink."

Duncan nodded and poured her a shot of whiskey before asking his next question. "What could you use my help with?"

Izzy downed the shot and gave him a piercing stare. "I need to know if there is any connection between the Helping Hand, specifically Carter Edison, and the criminal underbelly of this city." she said. "Can you think of any such connection?"

Duncan stared at her a moment before answering. "Nope, I don't know anything about that shit." he said, with an innocent grin.

"Come on Duncan, you must know something." Izzy said, not buying his answer for a second. "I know you have a lot of connections in the criminal underworld."

"That I do, but I don't know a damn thing about Edison, other than the alleged support he gave that sex ring a few years ago." Duncan said.

"What if I told you there was a little girl involved in this case?" Izzy asked. "What would you say then?"

"That I still don't know shit." Duncan answered. "I will say this though. If you want information on this sort of thing there is one guy I can point you towards. His name is-"

Duncan's sentence was cut short by the sound of Izzy's phone ringing. "Sorry, let me get that." she said, before answering the call. "Hello? Can I help you?"

"Izzy, it's me." Detective Martin's voice answered. "We found a possible link and we're heading over to Edison's office now. Meet us there, would you?"

"Will do." Izzy replied, before ending the call. "Sorry Duncan, but I gotta go. We just caught a possible break in the case. Thanks for your help." She tossed a twenty on the counter and headed out, leaving Duncan in a state of disbelief.

* * *

A short time later Izzy arrived at Edison's office. Detectives Martin and Harris were already there, much to her pleasure. Their impending interview with Edison was not likely to be pleasant and Izzy wanted to get it over with quickly so she could get back to finding Madison. There was a chance talking to Edison would help, though Izzy doubted they would get much information, if any. A man like Carter Edison was not likely to admit to anything, especially anything even remotely criminal. Still it was worth a try, especially since if there was a link between Edison and the criminal underworld.

"Took you long enough." Martin said, as Izzy walked up to the detectives.

Izzy gave him a dark look, but chose not to fire back. Instead she asked, "So, how are we gonna approach this?"

"Carefully." Harris answered. "As in, we're not just gonna walk in there and accuse him."

"Good plan." Izzy said. "We should soften him up a bit first before we drop the bomb on him. That way he won't be able to worm out of this."

"Assuming we can soften him up." Harris said, his tone uncertain.

"I thought you said you found a link?" Izzy said, her tone questioning.

"A possible link." Martin said. "But it's better than nothing, so let's go get this done."

Izzy nodded and followed Martin and Harris inside. The building wasn't what she had been expecting. It was a small building, out of place amongst the massive office buildings that surrounded it. It seemed to suit Edison's needs however, though Izzy wondered if there was another reason why the Helping Hand used such a small building as its headquarters. Izzy could tell that the detectives were think the same thing, but chose not to comment.

They walked up to the desk that sat in the center of the atrium, where a thin, lanky man with short brown hair sat, watching them closely. "May I help you?" the man asked. "And may I ask who you are?"

Martin took point, speaking with confidence and authority. "Yes. I am detective Geoff Martin and these are my partners, detective D.J. Harris and Izzy Sharpe." he said. "We're here to speak with Mr. Edison."

The man gave them a questioning look and then said, "I'm sorry, but Mr. Edison isn't in today. Perhaps you could come back at another time." There was something about his answer that made Izzy suspicious, but once again she chose to remain silent.

"Actually, we need to talk to him now." Martin said. "The matter is quite urgent."

"Sorry, but he's not-" The man's sentence died in his throat as another man entered the room, this one a tall older man, dressed in a black suit, his gray hair slicked back with gel.

"Karl, you're being rude." the older man said. "If the detectives wish to speak with me, I will most certainly oblige them."

"As you say, Mr. Edison." Karl said, with a quick nod.

Edison smiled and motioned for Izzy and the detectives to follow him. "Sorry about Karl." he said, once they were in his office. "He can be a bit paranoid at times. I believe he's still struggling to get over the investigation we endured a few years back. Anyway, what can I do for you?"

"Actually it's that investigation we wanted to talk to you about." Martin said.

Edison's expression hardened. "I have nothing to say about that." he said. "Those accusations were proven false and I will not discuss them with you."

"What if I were to ask you about Kellie Braughman?" Izzy said. "What would you tell us then?" She smiled as Edison's expression flickered, but it was only for a second.

"I have no idea who that is." Edison answered. "I have never heard that name before in my life." He smiled now, as if he didn't care that he was impeding their investigation.

"Okay, what can you tell us about the rumors that your organization is involved with some shady folks." Martin asked. "Specifically, I'm referring to the rumors that you, yourself, have personally overseen the shipment of drugs into and out of this city."

"I would tell you that they are just rumors." Edison said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have business to attend to."

"We're not done here." Izzy said, her temper rising.

"No, we most certainly are, Ms. Sharpe." Edison said. "Now get the hell off my property before I have you arrested for harassment."

Izzy was about to argue, but Martin silenced her. "Let's go." he said. "We won't accomplish anything if we get suspended and you get arrested."

Reluctantly Izzy nodded and followed the detectives out. As the exited the building she glanced at Karl, who looked relieved to see them go, though his relief seemed to be tinged with some other emotion that Izzy couldn't quite decipher.

* * *

"Well that was a waste of time." Harris muttered once they were back at the precinct. "We didn't learn anything even remotely helpful."

"Yeah, well, at least we tried." Martin replied. "It was worth a shot, wasn't it?"

"I guess." Harris said. "Though I think we could have made more progress if we'd focused on something else."

"Not necessarily." said Izzy. "I think paying Edison a visit was worth the trouble."

"How do you figure that?" Harris asked. "He didn't cooperate at all, so how was that anything but a waste of time?"

"If you'd shut up, I'll explain." Izzy said, her tone serious. Harris gave her a dark look, but she ignored it and continued. "You say our meeting with Edison was a failure, which I'll concede to. But I think we should examine all the variables before we give up."

"What are you getting at Izzy?" Martin asked. "Did you notice something at Edison's office that we missed?"

"I did, actually." Izzy replied. "The receptionist, Karl I think his name was, there was something about him that seemed off to me. Like he was hiding something. I'm not sure what, but he seemed suspicious to me."

"Okay, but how does that help us exactly?" Harris asked, his tone puzzled.

"I think he may be connected to our case in some way." Izzy replied.

"You got all that from his mannerisms?" Martin asked, impressed.

"Yes." Izzy said. "Though I'm still not sure exactly how he's connected. He could simply be hiding evidence to protect Edison or he could be covering his own ass."

"Well, it should be fairly easy to figure out which one it is." Martin said, as he took a seat behind his desk. "I'll just look him up and see if he's got any priors."

"Don't you need his full name for that?" Izzy asked. "I mean, there's likely hundreds of Karl's in this city."

"Good point." Martin said. "I guess I should check the list of employees at the Helping Hand first."

Izzy smiled and nodded, while Martin checked the Helping Hand's website for a list of employees. Izzy wasn't expecting to find anything, but it was worth a shot and they were running out of time to find Madison. As Martin worked Izzy ran over the case again in her mind. It had been one of the most trying cases she'd worked in a long time. The leads had been few and far between and the suspects hadn't been useful at all. And on top of it all a little girl's life hung in the balance. Izzy knew that she would never forgive herself if they failed to find Madison, but that was not an option. There had to be a way to find the girl before it was too late, Izzy just hoped that this was it.

"Found him." Martin said, his voice bringing Izzy out of her thoughts. "His name is Karl Fitch and he has a record."

"Good." Izzy said, relieved. "What are his priors?"

"Disorderly conduct, assault, theft, drug possession and..." Martin's voice trailed off, as though the final charges were not good.

"And what?" Izzy asked. "What else is he guilty of Geoff?"

"Kidnap and rape of a minor." Martin said, his tone suggesting horror and disgust.

"Shit." Izzy muttered. It wasn't definite, but they appeared to have finally found their guy.

"How was he working for Edison with a rap sheet like that?" Harris asked.

"Edison is known for giving people second chances." Izzy answered. "But this seems to be a little extreme. Is their any mention of him working with any sex rings?"

"Yes." Martin answered. "There is mention of him working with the ring that the Helping Hand was suspected of backing."

"Well, there's our connection." Izzy muttered. "So much for Edison's story."

"Technically only Karl is connected to that, but that's beside the point." said Harris. "What matters now is we have a suspect, so let's go bring him in."

"Yeah, let's do it." Martin said. Izzy nodded in agreement and together they set off to find Karl Fitch.

* * *

A short time later they arrived at Karl's home. At first the place seemed to be deserted, but then Izzy noticed movement inside. "He's here." she whispered.

"And it looks like he's planning on leaving soon." Martin said, gesturing at Karl's car, which appeared to be packed for a long trip.

Izzy had noticed this as well and nodded to show she understood his meaning. With that they approached the house, Martin and Harris both drawing their guns in the process.

"Fitch!" Martin called. "We know you're in there. Come out with your hands up or we'll be forced to come in."

For a moment there was only silence and then a loud crash echoed from the back yard. "Damn it, he's running." Harris muttered before taking off after Karl. Martin followed, while Izzy entered the house, hoping to find Madison.

Seconds later, Karl came running back into the house, taking Izzy by surprise. But before either of them could do or say anything, Martin came flying through the back door, tackling Karl to the floor in the process.

"Karl Fitch, you are under arrest for the murder of Kellie Braughman and the kidnap of Madison Braughman." Martin said, as he placed Karl in handcuffs and hauled him to his feet. He then set about reading Karl his rights, before hauling him outside.

Izzy watched them go, before turning to Harris. "She's not here." she said. "Madison's not here. He must have her somewhere else."

"We'll find her." Harris promised. "Come on, let's go interrogate the bad guy."

Izzy nodded and they followed Martin back to the precinct, their suspect in tow.

* * *

Back at the precinct, Martin tossed Karl into an interrogation room before getting Izzy and Harris to join him. Once they were all settled, Martin began the interrogation, though Karl was proving to be less than helpful.

"You've got a lot of nerve bringing me in here." Karl said. "Do you know who I work for?"

"We do, actually." Martin said. "And Edison can't protect you from this."

"Don't know what you're talking about." Karl said, though Izzy caught the fear that flashed in his eyes.

"Oh really?" Martin asked. "Because we think you do. In fact, we know you know what we're talking about. We know all about your history Fitch, so don't play innocent with us."

Karl squirmed in his seat, but still chose to act like he was oblivious. "You got nothing." he said. "All you got is some records of my past. I aint that guy anymore."

"Yes you are." Izzy said. "We know you are. We know what's in your house. See, as soon as we left, my detective friends here sent some of their people in to investigate further and they found all the pictures and videos and all the other sick shit you have."

"That stuff aint mine." Karl said, though his facade was starting to slip now.

"Then what was it doing in your house?" Harris asked.

"I...fine it's mine, but it's all from the past, I swear." Karl said, his tone pleading now.

"No it's not." Izzy said. "Some of it is recent, so I have only one more question for you. Where the hell is Madison Braughman?"

Karl shrugged, though it was obvious no one was buying his innocent act anymore.

"Where is the girl, Fitch?" Martin asked, his tone deadly serious.

For a moment it appeared Karl wasn't going to answer, but then his shoulders slumped and he spoke. "She's at the old meat factory." he said, his tone sullen and defeated.

Martin nodded and rose from his seat. Izzy and Harris followed suit and together they left the room, heading for the factory, while Karl was left under the guard of a pair of uniformed officers.

* * *

Ten minutes later they arrived at the factory. The place had once been owned by a meat packing company, but had been closed for years. It had become a haven for drug addicts, prostitutes, and general scumbags, so it was the perfect place to hide a kidnapped child.

Izzy fought back bile as they entered the factory, her mind fighting the repulsion she felt for someone who would just leave a terrified eight year old in a place like this. She could tell Martin and Harris felt the same way, but they were too focused on their job to let their feelings show. Still, Izzy knew none of them would get over this until they found Madison, assuming she was still alive.

"It doesn't look like anyone has been in here in awhile." Harris whispered.

"Yeah, which is strange." Martin said. "Usually this place is crawling with scumbags."

"Who cares." Izzy snapped. "Let's just find Madison before it's too late."

The detectives glanced at her, their expressions concerned. They both knew why Izzy was so keen to find Madison, but neither of them was really comfortable bringing the subject up. Still, one of them had to say something and Martin would be the one to do it.

"Izzy look-" he began, before Izzy silenced him with a look.

"Did you guys hear that?" she asked, glancing around the room.

"Hear what?" Harris asked, curious to know what she was on about.

"I thought I heard a muffled scream." Izzy said, not meeting Harris' gaze.

"It could be Madison." Martin said. "Let's split up and look for her."

Izzy and Harris nodded and they each set off in separate directions, Izzy heading in the direction of the muffled scream she had just heard.

It took her a moment to figure out the layout of the the factory, but once she did Izzy was unstoppable. She tore through the place with frantic energy, searching for any sign of Madison. But there appeared to be nothing to indicate that Karl had ever brought the girl here. She was beginning to wonder if Karl had lied to her about Madison's location when she heard the scream again, this time much closer and less muffled. She ran in the direction of the scream, ultimately stumbling across a large door in the floor. Dropping to her knees, Izzy pressed her ear against the grimy metal, listening for any signs of life. After a few seconds she hard movement and her heart jumped in her chest.

"Madison?" she called. "Madison, is that you?"

"Yes." a weak, terrified voice answered. "Who are you?"

"My name is Izzy and I'm here to rescue you." Izzy answered, relief settling over her until she noticed that the door was locked.

Frantically she glanced around for some way to break the lock, finally finding a pair of bolt cutters. She grabbed them and chopped off the lock before crawling down into the pit with Madison, who ran to her immediately. The girl was shaking and sobbing, but Izzy was more than ready to comfort her.

"He killed my mommy." Madison sobbed. "And did...things to me."

"Shh, it's okay." Izzy said, stroking Madison's hair. "You're safe now. Everything is going to be okay." Part of Izzy didn't believe her own words, but she had to be strong for the terrified girl in her arms. It was then that she heard Martin calling for her.

"Izzy! Izzy where are you?" his voice called, echoing off the walls.

"Over here." Izzy called back, as she and Madison climbed out of the pit. "I found Madison. She's alive and could use some medical attention."

"Got it. Be there in a minute." Martin called back.

Seconds later he and Harris arrived at Izzy's side and together they walked out of the factory, Izzy carrying Madison the whole time. They were greeted by medical personnel and more cops, who had moved in to secure the scene. Izzy handed Madison over to the medics, who promised to take good care of her, and then she left, the relief of finishing the case washing over her.

* * *

That evening Izzy met up with Martin and Harris at the Pit to celebrate their successful closing of the case. Gwen and LeShawna were there as well, as was Officer Wells, who seemed to be impressed by Izzy's success. They had come to celebrate as well, though Izzy didn't really feel like celebrating. True they had found Madison alive, but she had lost her mother and her future was now uncertain, given her father's criminal history. Still, it was a victory and Izzy supposed that was something worth celebrating.

"Damn, what a case." Martin sighed. "Haven't worked one like that in awhile."

"Yeah, no kidding." Harris said, with a relieved smile.

"Where is Madison now?" Officer Wells asked.

"She's at the hospital being treated for her ordeal." Izzy answered. "Her father is there with her, despite the fact that he's not supposed to be."

"Isn't that illegal?" Gwen asked, glancing at the detectives.

"Technically yes, but we felt she should have someone to watch over her." Martin answered. "And Scott Ford is indeed a changed man. I honestly think he can convince a judge to let him have custody."

"I have a question." said LeShawna. "How did this Fitch guy know the Braughmans?"

"It turns out Kellie Braughman was a client of the Helping Hand." Izzy answered. "Karl Fitch was helping her and used her vulnerable state to get close to Madison. It seems he tried to pay Kellie to let him film Madison and when she refused he killed her. He told us all of this after we had gotten Madison back."

"That's fucked up." Gwen said, shaking her head.

"Yeah, but it's over now." said Martin. "Karl Fitch won't see the light of day again. And that's what I call a win."

The others nodded in agreement, though Izzy was too busy reflecting to join them. It was true though. This was a win and she couldn't have asked for a better ending.

**End.**

**A/N: And that's episode 1 of the Consultant. Just a couple of things to clarify. First of all, Total Drama is not mine. It is the property of Teletoon and its creators. Secondly, this idea came to me when I was trying to find a good story to write for Izzy. I figured this would work well, so there you go. Third, if you're wondering why Duncan calls Izzy Red, it's because of her hair color (which the Total Drama wiki lists as orange, but it's actually red-orange, which would make her a read head). Also, I know it's kind of weird to have D.J. as a cop, but I thought it would work, so there you go. Finally, this is the first installment of an ongoing series of one shots. There will be somewhere between 15 and 20 by the time I'm done. Look for episode two sometime in the next couple of weeks. Cheers.**


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